Heat use in a regional energy cluster

Projekt

The development of energy potential in the waste industry and in particular the use of waste heat in regional clusters is decisive for sustainable orientation of energy supply in Bavaria. Integrated approaches could unfold their full potential if it were possible to win over the highest number of potential heat producers possible (not only thermal power plants but also production companies), to feed in heat into an interconnected network or grid.

Feasibility of a regional energy cluster using the example of the Augsburg economic region

In the period 2009-2011, the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Health ("Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Gesundheit") funded a study of the feasibility of a regional energy cluster using the example of the Augsburg economic region. Apart from the three local authorities: the city, and the two districts Landkreis Augsburg and Landkreis Aichach-Friedberg, the regional energy supply companies and several large production companies were also cooperation partners in the project. The partner structure ensured that all relevant aspects and perspectives were incorporated in the study, so that the opportunities and limits of a regional energy cluster could be very clearly worked out.

The project was assisted with advice from the experts of the Bavarian State Environmental Agency ("Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt").

The original starting point was the concentration of three energy (power) generation plants in the industrial zone of the Augsburg district of Lechhausen ("energy triangle"), consisting of the waste CHP plant as well as a gas turbine and a biomass CHP plant.

In addition, other waste-heat intensive sources and a large number of heat sinks were determined and mapped using a geoinformation system, and were classified according to quantitative and qualitative criteria. However, heat cannot always be used immediately after it has been produced. One task within the scope of the survey of the existing situation was therefore to examine the storage systems available on the market.

Possible uses for heat thermal stores (heat accumulators) result in the region in the case of heat storage for use of intermittent heat sources, heat storage for load balancing and extension of the district heating offer through "mobile district heating". A central criterion in the development of a concept for the technical feasibility was the ecological advantageousness of a future energy cluster through generation of the highest possible contribution to climate protection.

Instead of an extensive interconnected solution with an integrated heat network, due to all kinds of different waste heat qualities of the waste heat quantities in the Augsburg economic region, the realisation of specific and coordinated partial solutions was recommended.

Implementation of a cooling network designed for the medium and long-term (combined heat, power and cooling generation) in the "southern heat field"

Mobile heat transport from the AVA power plant to Friedberg to supply properties of the Aichach-Friedberg district

Integration of heat recovery options from the wastewater sewers of the City of Augsburg in a sewer modernisation plan

Testing direct district heat transfer from the AVA power plant to Derching

Testing direct district heat transfer from the MVV-IGS power plant to Gablingen to the new prison to be built

Diverse legal, economic and fiscal obstacles also stand in the way of increased waste heat use through regional energy clusters. This was discussed, e.g. on the basis of network access for "third party heat" as well as promoting the sale of heat through mandatory connection and use and recommendations were submitted for the setting up of a regional heat cluster